Summary
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the biggest and most ambitious title in the series, with a new setting in Hawaii and a merging of past and present characters.
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon introduced a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, and its complex story involves many new characters, subplots, and a story involving counterfeit money and the disbanding of Yakuza gangs.
- Kazuma Kiryu made a return as a key character in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, while Like a Dragon Gaiden explored his life after faking his death.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is almost here, and it's set to be the series' biggest, most ambitious title to date. Set primarily in Hawaii, a far cry from its usual urban Japanese settings, the game will merge past, present, and future together by including the series' veteran protagonist Kazuma Kiryu alongside Ichiban Kasuga, who was introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The complex world of Like a Dragon, formerly known as Yakuza, is packed to the brim with interesting characters and subplots, so it's a perfect time for fans to remind themselves of exactly how events went down during the past couple of games.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon represented something of a departure for the series in a couple of key ways. Firstly, it introduced a brand-new protagonist: Ichiban Kasuga. Kiryu's life had been the focal point of all previous games in the series, so this was a huge deal for fans, and it seemed to indicate developer Ryu Ga Gotoku was moving in a new direction. This bold approach was reinforced by a new combat system, as the beat-em-up gameplay that had become synonymous with the series was replaced by a dynamic turn-based system which proved to be a breath of fresh air. These two massive changes made Yakuza: Like a Dragon feel like a new start for the series, and critics and fans were in agreement that the decisions paid off.
How Long It Takes to Beat Every Yakuza Game Before Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's Release
The Like a Dragon series is full of long, rich stories that may take players looking to complete them all before Infinite Wealth quite a long time.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Introduced Several Newcomers to the Series
Yakuza: Like a Dragon introduces players to Ichiban Kasuga as a fairly low-level member of the Tojo Clan. After agreeing to take the fall for a crime he didn't commit, to protect his boss and mentor Masumi Arakawa, Ichiban is sent to prison for 18 years. Upon his eventual release, Arakawa inexplicably shoots him, and he wakes up in the care of a homeless man, Yu Nanba, who saves his life. The two form a close bond while Ichiban tries to take stock of what's happened. They are soon joined by a couple of other characters: Koichi Adachi, a disgraced cop with a point to prove, and Saeko Mukoda, a shrewd and intelligent bar owner who becomes a close ally of Ichi's.
Slowly but surely, the party uncovers a plot involving counterfeit money and soon realizes that the heads of two main Yakuza gangs, the Omi and the Tojo, plan to disband their respective groups to free themselves from the control of the governor of Tokyo, Ryo Aoki, who is beginning to use the groups to further his own ambitions. During this time, Ichiban and his friends soon meet the Dragon of Dojima himself, Kazuma Kiryu, who was assumed dead but has suddenly re-emerged as the bodyguard of Omi Alliance Captain Masaru Watase. Kiryu befriends the group and departs, but not before they prove they are worthy of his help by fighting him in a ferocious battle.
After his old mentor, Arakawa, winds up dead, Ichiban discovers that the old patriarch could well have been his birth father, having been brought up in foster care. Angered by this untimely news coming after the death of Arakawa, Ichiban destroys everyone in his path before confronting and defeating Aoki. Now with his newly formed group of friends, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth begins with Ichiban searching Hawaii for his real birth mother, who was presumed dead but is rumored to be alive and well.
Like a Dragon Gaiden Wrapped Up Some Loose Ends for Kiryu
A spin-off titled Like a Dragon Gaiden covers the missing parts of Kiryu's story that aren't shown during Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Having made a pact with the Daidoji clan and now working for them under the name Joryu, Kiryu's attempts to stay out of trouble are short-lived when a captain from the Watase family offers to free him from the Daidoji family. After jumping through a series of hoops in order to meet the Watase family's requests, Kiryu eventually gains his freedom. He then decides a much-needed vacation is due, so he travels to Hawaii, setting the scene for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Engine
- Dragon Engine
- Franchise
- Yakuza
WHERE TO PLAY
EPIC EMOTIONAL DRAMA
Two larger-than-life heroes brought together by the hand of fate, or perhaps something more sinister…
Ichiban Kasuga, an unstoppable underdog who’s no stranger to crawling up from rock bottom, and Kazuma Kiryu, a broken man facing down his last days.
BEST-IN-CLASS RPG ACTION
Experience one-of-a-kind combat with dynamic, fast-paced RPG battles where the battlefield becomes your weapon, and anything goes. Adapt your party’s skills to the situation with outlandish jobs and customizations to strategically subdue enemies with over-the-top moves.
INFINITE ADVENTURE
Live it up in Japan and explore all that Hawaii has to offer in an adventure so big it spans the Pacific. Unforgettable moments await at every step of the journey with a unique mix of quests and activities to enjoy at your leisure.
